Hayley McBride
by AerynFi
Summary: Fiona and Michael haven't seen each other in six years until they accidentally run into each other one day and Michael discovers she had his baby.  This story was inspired by the plot of "Run So Far" by Ori1but I've changed some stuff.
1. Chapter 1

**Hayley McBride**

_Summary – Fiona and Michael haven't seen each other in six years until they accidentally run into each other one day and Michael discovers she had his baby. This story was inspired by the plot of "Run So Far" by Ori1but I've changed some stuff._

Michael stared in wonder at the little girl who was sitting calmly eating her morning porridge. His daughter.

"Good morning Hayley" he said to her.

"Good morning" she answered and looked down at her porridge.

"Sit with her Michael" Fiona called from the kitchen. Michael obediently sat down opposite the little girl with reddish hair and Fiona's green eyes.

"Did your Mom tell you anything about me?" he asked.

"She said I should talk to you" Hayley answered. "She said you might ask me questions."

"Was that all?" Michael prompted.

"Yep" said Hayley

"Um" Michael wasn't sure how to begin. Fiona came in and placed porridge and coffee in front of him without speaking and disappeared into the kitchen again.

"Um has your Mom told you anything about your father?" Michael asked

"Yeah I asked her why I don't have one" Hayley explained straightforwardly. "She said that he doesn't know about me." Hayley stirred some honey into her porridge then crinkled her forehead before continuing; "Taylor says his Dad knows about him, but he lives in Texas. Have you been to Texas?" she asked him.

"No I haven't" Michael answered truthfully. At this point Fiona re-entered dressed in lycra exercise pants and carrying a sports bag. She came over and kissed and hugged Hayley.

"Michael is going to look after you until I get back from work" Fiona told her

"Fi I..." Michael interjected

"You're free aren't you?" Fiona challenged aggressively.

As Michael watched Hayley eat he tried to get his head around the fact that she was really his. After she finished her breakfast she took her bowl over to the sink, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. Fi was obviously training her to be independent.

"Now we go to the park" Hayley announced.

"Sounds good" Michael agreed. He held her hand and listened to her chatter happily about school and games and animals. She was so beautiful and interesting that he was mesmerised by her. But the best part was when she fell over and hurt her knee in the park. She walked up to him and said defiantly in a very Fiona –like way;

"I'm not going to cry" and he gathered her onto his lap and held her while she did just that. His daughter. His little girl. He was surprised when she asked later in the day as they ate icecreams; "Are you going to be my new Daddy?"

"I am your Daddy Hayley" he told her. "I'm going to visit you a lot from now on" Michael was glad an opportunity to tell Hayley the true nature of their relationship had grown organically in the course of their conversation. He was a bit worried about being overdramatic. Hayley took a few minutes to process this new information before speaking.

"Will you send me a present on my birthday? Taylor's Dad sends him a present on his birthday"

"Yes" Michael answered. "What kinds of presents do you like?"

"Well I like horses" Hayley explained. "But I also like toy guns and barbies with sparkly dresses" Michael wondered if he could get her one of each.  
>"When is your birthday Hayley?"<p>

"Um I don't know Michael" she said crinkling her five year old forehead in concentration. "Should I call you 'Daddy' instead of Michael?" she asked.

"Yes I'd like for you to call me Daddy" he told her.

"That's good I can tell Lilly that I have a Daddy now. Lilly's my best friend" she said.

When Fiona returned home that evening she discovered Hayley asleep with her head in Michael's lap. He was stroking her hair and gazing at his daughter in wonder.

"She's so amazing Fiona. I can't believe she's really ours" he said softly.

"Yeah she's ours" agreed Fi. "When she gets a certain stubborn look on her face I feel like I can see you staring out at me. It's creepy in an adorable sort of way"

"I'm glad I ran into you Fi" said Michael gently. He wondered what she was going to say. Would she explain her decision to disappear six years ago? Would she explain hiding his child from him for five years? Hiding her pregnancy? Or would they simply never speak of it? He knew something was coming, he just didn't know what.

"Michael are you angry with me?" she asked.

"No Fi I'm not angry" he told her honestly. He adjusted the position of Hayley's head before continuing. "I'm also not going anywhere" He added this with a challenge in his eye. "So are there any other men lurking around the place?"

"No Michael" she answered with a tired smile. You're the only one lurking"

"So you noticed me watching the house yesterday? he asked

"You were good" she countered. "I nearly didn't notice you"

"You seem softer Fi" he observed. "I think motherhood suits you"

"Well there's definitely less guns and bombs, but it has its rewards. When do you have to leave?" she asked abruptly.

"I'm on assignment. I should be here for three months."

"And then?"

"Then I'll come back. I'll ask for assignments near you. I'm serious Fi" he told her. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Michael broke it.

"If I asked you to marry me, what would you say?" He studied her face to see her reaction.

"You won't know until you bring me a ring and ask me" Fiona replied. She leant in to pick up Hayley and carried the sleeping girl down the hall to her bedroom.

Michael realised he was scared because he didn't actually know what Fiona wanted. He didn't want to lose her or his daughter, but he didn't know why Fiona had left in the first place so he didn't know how to keep her with him, how to make her stay.

"Am I on her birth certificate Fi?" he asked when she returned.

"I didn't want anyone knowing her or my real identity so Hayley's birth certificate says her parents are Anne and Michael McBride. My name's not on there either." she explained. "How's Madeline?" she asked

"She's fine" Michael said. "She still smokes all the time but I think she would like to hear from you Fi"

"How's Nate?" Fi asked choosing to ignore Michael's last comment.

"Ruth had twin girls in August. They named them Crystal and Melody. Mom hates the names but she managed to spend three days at their house without any major catastrophes."

"How's working for an agency?" she asked. "Is it everything you hoped it would be?" as she spoke she moved over to him and settled herself in his lap. There was no bitterness in her question and Michael enjoyed having her so close. He wrapped his arms around her before he answered.

"Yes and No. I enjoy the work Fi but during these past few years I've found myself missing things I didn't think I would" They both acknowledged his true meaning in silence.

"How's Sam?" Fi asked

"He's Sam" Michael answered. "He has his lady friends, he still does small jobs. I think he missed working with us for a while but then he adjusted. Life goes on"

"It certainly does" Fiona sighed. Then she got up and held out her hand for him to take. "Come on, let's go to bed."

After Michael fell asleep Fiona examined her feelings for him. She knew that she loved him and she knew that she trusted him, but would it be enough? He was the only man in the world for whom she would do anything and she trusted him not to use her or betray her, but that didn't change the fact that she had betrayed him. Michael had told her he wasn't angry and she believed him but she still felt guilty.

The following night Michael cooked dinner for Fiona and Hayley. In some ways it felt like they had always been together. After they each finished their banana split for dessert he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

"Mommy if you say 'yes' I'll have a real Daddy!" squealed Hayley.

"I'm already your real Daddy" Michael corrected her. But he didn't take his eyes off Fi's face.

"I mean you'll live with us" Hayley explained oblivious to the silent communication taking place between her parents.

"How can you want me after what I did?" Fi asked quietly. How can you not be angry Michael? If our situations were reversed I wouldn't be able to forgive you"

"They were and you did" he reminded her. He took the ring out of its box and slid it onto her ring finger.

"You're my girl Fi"

"I am" she responded. There were tears in her eyes.

After spending an hour with Hayley in her room Fiona entered her bedroom and found Michael waiting for her.

"I think we need to talk" she said as she closed the door behind her.

"About?" Michael questioned

"About how this is going to work Michael" she clarified. "I don't want to hurt our daughter with our bullshit. We need to make plans and there's stuff from the past we need to talk about too"

"Agreed" he said.

"You go first" she prompted.

Fi knew that Michael wasn't weak, but she wondered how he would cope with what she was about to dump on him"

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant Fi? Why did you disappear?" he asked.

Fi took a breath and began her story. "Two weeks after you left for Europe I was abducted by some old...associates from Ireland"

"_Oh__ No__"_ Michael thought. But he kept silent.

"Michael I was tortured and raped repeatedly in what I later discovered was a Miami warehouse.

"Oh Fi...'

"Just let me finish okay?" pain and tension were easily identifiable in her voice. Michael sat back obediently and resolved not to speak until she'd explained everything.

"I managed to free myself after a month but I knew I had to leave Miami and go on the run. I kept in touch with Sam and I told him to fill you in when he saw you but..."

Michael looked down. He felt ashamed. If he had returned to Miami or even attempted to contact Sam or Fi during that time he would have realised Fi was in trouble. He could have done something! She left the sentence unfinished. "After I realised I was pregnant I dropped off the grid entirely. Sam had no idea where I was. I left him one final message asking him not to tell you what had happened to me. He didn't know I was expecting."

Michael was shocked.

"Oh Fi I would have helped you"

"Michael I didn't know if it was your baby or not" she told him sadly. "I wanted to find out before I contacted you again. I saw a doctor when I was about six months into the pregnancy. She estimated the date of conception to be the night you left, but I wasn't sure. I really wanted a DNA test but I didn't have a blood sample from you so it wasn't possible." She shrugged.

"Fi I am so sorry you had to go through that alone" he said sincerely.

"Michael I knew I had to survive. I went to call your handler a couple of times to leave you a message but I just couldn't face re-living everything again. I am so sorry" Michael was speechless. He remembered that when he'd touched her the night before he'd noticed new scars on her waist and back but he had forgotten to ask about them.

"Did you get revenge?" he asked quietly.

"Yes Sam and I killed all of them with a bomb" she told him.

"I can't believe he didn't tell me" Michael said

"I asked him not to Michael" she repeated. "I also asked him not to try and find me. I was really messed up. My family doesn't even know if I'm alive or dead"

"Are you ready to face them now Fiona?" he asked.

"Yeah" she answered listlessly. Michael wondered where his Fiona had gone. Where was the dangerous woman who would do anything to fight for the innocent and vulnerable? Why wouldn't she fight for herself?

"Come here" he invited. She lay down next to him on the bed and he stroked her hair.

"Hmm" she gave a contented whimper and cuddled up against him.

"Did I..." half of the question came out before he could stop it.

"What?" Fi asked

"Last night when we were together..." he trailed off again and she looked up at him expectantly.

"When I ..." he couldn't get the words out.

"Michael are you trying to ask me if you hurt me last night?" she inquired

"Yes. Yes I suppose that is what I'm trying to ask" he confirmed uncomfortably

"No you didn't hurt me Michael." she smiled. "Far from it in fact. Just do what you've always done, it's always worked pretty well for me" she grinned. "Do you have any complaints?" she asked cheekily.

"No Fi, never" he grinned.

They lay in pleasant silence for a few minutes before Fi broke it.

"I guess if you're asking about trauma I used to have a lot of nightmares" she said.

"So we're made for each other in more ways than one" he replied.

"Oh yeah I forgot about those nights in the loft" she said in remembrance. They both knew they were remembering the times Michael would have nightmares so bad that he would wake up sweating and pointing his gun at shadows. He closed his eyes and remembered her gentle hands on his as she would take the weapon from him and her cool lips against his ear as she would calm him with her voice.

"There have been many times over these past six years when I wished you were with me Fi" he told her.

"Wish no more" she said seductively and she closed her eyes and kissed him. He enfolded her in his arms and kissed her back. Her last conscious thought before becoming lost in him was simply _"__I__'__m __home__"_

5


	2. Chapter 2

Hayley McBride Chapter Two

Summary – What happens when Michael calls Sam?

Sam Axe was spending the night alone. Things had ended that morning with his most recent girlfriend and after their "conversation" he had packed his bags again and checked in to a cheap room at a Miami hotel.

Although he knew he would soon get over it, for the moment he was kind of sad. Monica had been sweet, but they hadn't been together long enough for him to really get to know her. Most men's relationships grew exponentially longer as they grew older, but Sam wasn't sure if he would ever find "the one". He drank his beer and looked out the window at the dark night. Tomorrow he would check out and go and see if he could move into Maddy's guest bedroom again. She didn't mind, and they both enjoyed the company. Also, if there was any news on Michael, Maddy was usually the first to hear from him. He took another swig of beer and went to see what was on television. He needed something mind numbing and stupid to get his mind of the mind numbing and stupid aspects of his life. As he was locating the remote, his cell started to ring. He picked it up and saw the flashing message on the screen which read "Mike Calling" and he immediately felt better. A call from Mike might mean a job! He pressed the answer button.

"Mike, long time, how's things?" he asked.

"Not so good Sam" Michael answered him. "To tell you the truth I'm so angry at you right now that I want to punch you" he continued.

"What did I do?" Sam asked in real confusion. "I haven't seen you in four months Mike, what can I have done to piss you off?"

Michael answered with one word. "Fiona"

"Oh right" Sam's heart sank. He didn't like to think about Fiona because he felt like he'd let her down and let Mike down after what happened. Fiona was the reason he really hated being alone and having nothing to do. Thoughts of the dead look in her eyes and his hasty promise flooded his mind when he was alone and unoccupied. Even when he wasn't consciously thinking about her, his regret had never really left him.

"I really thought she would come back Mike. I didn't think she'd disappear and by the time I realised she wasn't going to come home it was too late. I couldn't find her Mike"

"You should have told me" Michael said coldly. And he hung up.

"Oh shit" Sam told his empty hotel room. He sat down on his bed in defeat.

"Michael" Fiona called out to him as he entered via the front door.

"Hey Fi" he answered. He loosened his tie as he walked toward the kitchen. "Where's Hayley?" he asked.  
>"She's playing at a friend's house" she said. Fi was mixing something in a bowl. In years past Michael would have assumed it was an explosive compound, now he thought it more likely she was mixing up pancake batter.<p>

"So I was wondering about you and Hayley moving to Miami" Michael said. "What do you think?" Fiona turned to face her. He thought she looked beautiful in her apron and flour smudged face.

"I don't know" Fi answered. "It would be nice to be near your mother and Sam" Michael's jaw stiffened when she mentioned Sam's name. "But I've made friends here, I've flown under the radar. It might be safer for Hayley if we stayed here." She mused out loud. "Why do you want to go back?" she asked.

"I don't know" Michael answered. "Mostly because Mom and Nate are there. I used to hate Miami, then after you disappeared it reminded me of you. It feels like home, as much as any place can"

"I know what you mean" Fiona said. "Well family is the most important thing Michael. I think we're all moving to Miami. Did you have a timeline in mind?"

"Yeah actually I was thinking we should pack up your house and be in Miami by the end of the month" Michael said. "Is it do-able?"

"Yeah I've done it before" she said dismissively. "You'd be surprised at how much easier it is to move when you don't need to worry about crates of weapons and C4. All I have to do is call a moving company Michael"

"Aw you've become domesticated" teased Michael. Fiona punched him. "Well also, legitimate moving companies rarely operate on favours Michael. I'll need money; you can pick up the bill"

"I'll get you a credit card" Michael said.

"Oh good. Shopping" Fi squealed.

Michael raised his eyebrow at her. "You squeal now? Seriously?"

"Give me a break Michael" she said irritably. "Gun running was a lot more profitable than working in a gym and Hayley may be cute, but sometimes she's very expensive. I was not looking forward to school fees believe me." Michael smiled. He was doing that a lot lately, being around Fiona gave him so much to smile about and made him feel at peace with himself.

"Ah Fi, another thing. Sean has called me every month ever since you left. You might want to give him a call; let him know you're alive"

After tea Michael wandered out to the veranda and paced back and forth. The uncomfortable phone call from two nights ago was still bothering him. He stared at his phone for a while before dialling Sam's number. Sam answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey Mike" Sam greeted.

"How the hell could you not tell me about what happened to her Sam?" Michael demanded. "All these years and you never said a word. How could you look me in the eye and not tell me?"

Sam could understand Michael's anger. His own mixed feelings about the situation had caused him to rehearse what he would say if Michael ever confronted him, but mostly he was relieved that Michael had found her.

"Hey man I hated myself for not telling you but you didn't see what they did to her Mike. I mean when I looked into her eyes it was like it wasn't Fi in there anymore. Telling you would have been wrong Mike. Plain and simply wrong. A betrayal of her trust. And after all she'd been through I couldn't do that to her."

"What about doing what was best for her Sam?" Michael said.

"Believe me brother I have stayed awake many nights asking myself that same question, but Fi and I have been through too much for me to go behind her back like that Michael."

Sam listened to the silence on the other end of the line. Michael's anger had burned out and had been replaced by grief and regret.

"Okay Sam" he said quietly. "We're going to return to Miami next month"

"You and Fi?" Sam asked

"Yes both of us" Michael confirmed.

"For what its worth Michael, I am sorry. I did what I thought was right."

"I know Sam. Thank you." Michael hung up. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm the turmoil within. He realised that it wasn't really Sam he was angry at. He was angry at Fiona for not seeking him out and demanding he come back to her, but mostly he was angry with himself.

"Daddy?" the small voice seemed concerned. Dressed in a pink nightie, Hayley had followed him out onto the porch. Michael sighed.

"Yeah Sweetie?" he answered. The endearment came out naturally without him thinking about it.

"Daddy, Mommy says it's time for bed and I wanted to say goodnight" Michael sensed that if it were possible for a five year old to feel awkward, Hayley would be feeling awkward now. As it was she was just confused and a little frightened by Michael's anger.

"Great" Michael thought to himself. He'd been there for less than a week and his daughter was already afraid of him.

"Hayley it's okay" he reassured her. "I was just angry about something my friend Sam did and I told him so. But we've made up now."

"Did you say you were sorry?" she asked with interest as she slipped her small hand into his large one.

"No, he did though" Michael explained. "I probably should as well" Michael admitted. "Come on lets go inside." After thinking for a few moments Hayley spoke:

"I bit a boy at kinder" she said. "Mommy said I had to say sorry" At this Michael laughed. Fiona was surprised to hear the sound coming down the hall. She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard Michael laugh. They joined her in the kitchen where Fi had set out some apple slices for Hayley to eat before she went to bed. Michael put his phone in his pocket as he and Hayley sat at the kitchen bench.

"Mommy, Daddy had a fight with his friend Sam and now he has to say sorry" Hayley informed Fiona.

"You called Sam?" Fiona asked. There was something icy in her tone which Michael hadn't heard before.

"Ah yeah" Michael answered. He had been hoping to not have to talk about Sam with Fiona.

"What did he say?" Fiona asked

"He said he didn't tell me about what happened because he didn't want to betray you"

"He was a good friend" Fiona stated.

"Time for bed" Hayley announced as she jumped off her seat. Fiona silently followed Hayley to her room while Michael sat alone at the bench and ate an apple slice. When Fiona returned she came up behind him and put her arms around him. He noticed that her diamond engagement ring reflected the light beautifully.

"You know Michael we've been here before" she whispered into his ear.

"Where have we been before?" he asked

"That place where the pain is so bad there doesn't seem to be any way through it."

"Third time lucky then" Michael suggested. "I called Sam because I hated myself Fi. I left you when you needed me the most."

"You did" she acknowledged. "But it wasn't your fault"

"That last part is irrelevant" Michael said.

"Perhaps we could call it even and start again" Fi suggested. "I'm not who I was and neither are you. Maybe we can be better. We can be Hayley's parents."

"I'd like that" Michael said softly.

"I called your Mom" Fi said with a cheeky glint in her eye. "She says she can't wait to meet her granddaughter. Oh and you need to call her and explain why you didn't tell her about reconnecting with me"

"Oh I am going to make you pay for that" Michael said as he grabbed her. She shrieked as he tickled and kissed her. They knew they were going to be okay.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hayley McBride Chapter 3**

_Okay, some notes on cultural differences. I'm an Aussie and in Australia we sometimes say "tea" when we mean dinner, kindergarten means preschool (in Victoria anyway) and we call Charity Shops Opportunity Shops or Op Shops. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Op Shops sell donated items like clothes, books and crockery and the money raised goes to various charities such as animal shelters or the Salvation Army. I have never been to Ireland or the U.S. and what I know about these cultures I have picked up from watching television. I got info about distances from Google Maps. Also we say "Mum" and "Mummy" instead of "Mom" and "Mommy". Just putting it out there._

"Mommy will I be able to see Lilly when we move to Miami?" Hayley asked her mother. She had very little understanding of distance really. For Hayley 'a long way away' was a two hour drive to a carnival while 'really far away' was anything over that. She had listened in disbelief and awe when Taylor had told her about travelling for two days with a stop overnight to see his father in Texas. Now she was going to undertake a mammoth journey herself. But she would be going to Miami from Atlanta.

"I'm not sure honey" Fiona said with a hint of regret. Fiona liked Lilly's mother, the two girls had grown up together and their mothers had shared the trials which come from raising a first child. Fi wondered about inviting Susan and Lilly to stay with them in Miami for a few days after she and Michael had gotten settled. Susan's husband was in the marines, which made Susan a part-time single mother, and Fiona was a full time single mother who understood the issues associated with a husband in the military. The two women had often been glad of each other's company over the past few years.

"Daddy got me a Barbie" Hayley announced. She waved the doll in her mother's face, it was a very glittery Barbie, wearing a dress of garish sequins and the doll's limbs appeared to be covered in some kind of glitter paint. Fi smiled indulgently and secretly prayed that her daughter would prove to have better fashion sense as she grew older.

"You are lucky aren't you?" Fi said as she wrapped a glass vase in newspaper before placing it in a packing box.

"Daddy also got me two other dresses to put her in." Hayley continued. "But I think she's gonna share them with Maggie". To accentuate her point Hayley held Maggie up, another Barbie who looked somewhat more tasteful in a black evening dress. 'She probably looks more sophisticated because she isn't covered in glittery body paint' Fiona reflected to herself.

"What is your new Barbie's name?" Fi asked as she continued to wrap glassware.

"I don't know yet." Hayley said vaguely. "I think I'll go play in the garden". Hayley trotted off to do whatever it is five year old girls do in the garden while Fi wondered how she had managed to accumulate so much junk over the past five years. Somehow her taste for the finer things in life had been overshadowed by her need for the practical. Matching plates with delicate patterns had been replaced by Sesame Street themed plastic dinnerware. White clothes or tablecloths or curtains or towels were rarely seen inside her residence since she had learned that anything white rarely stayed that way. She considered taking all the plastic stuff and donating it to a Charity Shop, but somehow she wasn't quite ready to let it go. At least plastic stuff didn't need to be wrapped in bubble wrap. She heard Michael's car drive up and she saw him through the window as he walked up to the front door. There was a casserole in the oven but it wasn't quite ready yet.

"Hey Fi" he greeted her as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey" she replied as she rummaged through the kitchen drawers to find cutlery. "We're having apricot chicken with rice for dinner and I really hope I didn't wreck it" she gave him a hopeful smile.

"Thanks Fi" Michael said. "Where's Hayley?" he asked.

"In the yard" she said. "Have you found a house for us yet?" she asked.

"I think I have" he said. "It's fifteen minutes from the beach and it's not too large or too small. If you like the pictures I can buy it right away and we can move your stuff straight in."

"Parks? Schools?" She prompted.

"Yes I think we'll be fine in that arena too." Michael said. "We can check out the ones nearby when we get there. And we're near that shooting range we used to go to all the time. Are you out of practice Fi?"

"I'm not as good as I used to be" she confirmed with a slight smile. Over the past few years Fi had occasionally indulged her need for loud noises by visiting a shooting range alone. It had been a while since she'd had the need to shoot a person, for which she was grateful. The rice cooker's light switched from 'Cook' to 'Warm' so Fiona turned it off at the wall. The rice seemed to dry out when she left it on warm.

"Tea smells good" Michael commented. Fi smiled at that too. Somehow Michael had become the only American she had ever known to refer to dinner as 'tea'.

"Actually on the schools front we could send Hayley to a Catholic school if you want." he said. "I have the money now"

"We'll see" Fi said vaguely. "I talked to Sean today" she told him.

"How is he?" Michael asked.

"Surprised to hear from me." Fi said. "He told me my friend Kathleen died last year"

"I'm sorry" Michael said.

"It's not like I could have gone to the funeral." she mused. "It's not like I ever thought I was going to see her again…"

"But the possibility is gone." he finished for her.

"Yes"

"Daddy Daddy!" Hayley called out as she ran into the kitchen.

"Hey beautiful" Michael greeted as he scooped her up into his arms. "Daddy my barbies are on the roof can you get them down?" Michael turned to give Fi a questioning look.

"That is officially a Daddy job" Fi said. "I'm cooking, so you can climb on the roof"

"How about after dinner?" Michael suggested.

"No" Hayley said definitively.

"Wow you are right, that is creepy" said Michael to Fi. "She sounds just like you"

"Yeah but I'm bigger" said Fi. "Daddy will get them for you after dinner Hayley"

"But Mommy…"

"No buts. You were the one who threw them up there, so you will have to wait."

"Time for food Hails" said Michael as he placed her in a chair.

"Okay but I'm sad. They are up there getting cold." she said forlornly. Michael and Fi smiled at each other. It was at that moment that the doorbell rang.

"Mummy it's Lilly and Auntie Susan!" Hayley exclaimed. All sadness about her barbies was forgotten as she jumped up from her chair and ran to the door"

"Oh I forgot about them" Fi said in Michael's general direction.

"Lilly and Susan?" Michael enquired.

"Yeah Susan is my friend" Fi explained. "The girls play together and when her husband is overseas Susan and Lilly come over for dinner every Monday night. I was going to invite them to come and visit us in Miami, so you may as well meet them now" she said.

They heard voices as Lilly ushered the pair toward the kitchen and dining area. Before they passed into Michael's sight they heard Hayley exclaim "My Daddy is here tonight Aunt Susan" Which explained the confused expression on Susan's face as they entered the kitchen. Fiona and Michael rose to greet their guests.

"Susan, hi" said Fi.

"Ah hello Fiona" said Susan as she lent in to give Fi a friendly hug. The two women turned toward Michael who was waiting for Fi to introduce him.

"Susan this is Michael Westen, Hayley's father and Michael this is my long time friend or my best friend really…..Susan Porter". Michael and Susan shook hands and exchanged greetings as is appropriate in such situations. It did not escape Fiona's notice that Susan's eyes flickered toward the diamond engagement ring on Fiona's ring finger. There were lots of questions in Susan's eyes.

"Michael how about you dish up some food for yourself and the girls and Susan and I will go up to my bedroom and talk about some things which have happened um…. recently" The two women made their way to Fiona's bedroom where they shut the door behind them.

"Fiona I can't believe it!" gushed Susan. "When did this happen and why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"Susan I ran into him by chance on Friday in a coffee shop. Then we just picked up where we left off." Fi explained. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Everything has just happened so fast…"

"He asked you to marry him?" Susan prompted.

"Yes last night at dinner" Fi explained. "We're going to move to Miami"

"Oh Fi that's wonderful" Susan leant in to hug her. "But I am going to miss you so much". Then after a couple of beats Susan looked concerned. "But Fi are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, I know you left him but there must have been a reason you made that decision."

"My reasons had very little to do with him Sue" Fi said. "He didn't do anything wrong and I have never told you this before, but he didn't even know about Hayley until he saw me on Friday."

"Really?" Susan said in surprise. She suddenly realised that there were a lot of things about her friend Fiona that she didn't know. She never would have predicted that Fi would lie to her child's father. She was always so straightforward.

"Well Fiona" she said. "I never knew you were so interesting". Suddenly they heard a crash which was followed by Hayley's terrified scream.

The two women turned and ran to the source of the noise. Susan found the two girls hiding under the table while Fiona ran through to the front lounge. There she saw Michael pointing his gun at a man who had just broken in.

"Don't shoot" said the man. He spoke with an Irish accent. He looked up and Fiona instantly recognised him.

"Michael this is my brother Liam. You never actually met him did you?"

"No" said Michael.

"Do you want to explain why you just broke my door instead of ringing the doorbell like a normal person?" asked Fiona.

"I thought you were in danger!" cried Liam. "And I think I broke my head" he said as an afterthought.

"Well it looks like Hayley will get to meet two previously unknown relatives in the one week" said Fi "You're a feckin' idiot Liam"


	4. Chapter 4

Hayley McBride Chapter 4

After everyone was settled at the table for dinner, Michael asked Liam why he thought Fi was in danger.

"After you called Mum we found a bug on her phone line" Liam explained. We weren't sure how long it had been there or who had put it there or why. We realised that it was possible that someone may have been sent here to find you Fiona.

"Unlikely" Fi said as she poured more tea.

"Yeah we thought it was unlikely too" admitted Liam "But just to be safe, I decided to fly out here. Plus I wanted to see you again Fi. We've been worried about you and I wanted to see how you were gettin' on"

"Well I appreciate the concern Liam, and I'm glad to see you too, but none of this explains why you saw fit to break my front door"

"That's simple" he said. "I knocked, no one answered. I heard screaming so I came in"

"There was no one screaming" said Michael. "Oh the girls started squealing once you two left the room. I guess that's what Liam heard"

Approximately Six Years Earlier

Fiona was having trouble comprehending what she was seeing. The instructions on the side of the box said that pregnant meant a pink plus sign. That's what had appeared on the pregnancy test. That's what had appeared on the total four pregnancy tests she had tried including the two yesterday and the two today. All the same, all positive. She could feel a knot of anxiety in her stomach which had nothing to do with morning sickness or the new life growing within her. Apart from the anxiety she felt oddly detached. She had a meeting in the afternoon to buy some European automatic weapons, then another meeting soon after to buy some more readily available P90s. Then she had dinner with Sam who was insisting on checking up on her every second day. She managed to keep her dinner down until Sam left to meet his latest 'lady friend' then she lost most of the Cuban dinner in the ladies bathroom. She wondered why she wasn't missing Michael. Ordinarily she'd be waiting for him, looking forward to the day he'd return. Now she felt numb.

She drove her car to the Carlito and when the waitress came over she ordered a Bloody Mary. Then she called her back.

"I'm sorry I'd like to change my order" she said. "I'll have an iced tea" The waitress nodded and Fi wondered what Michael would say or do if he were here.

"But he's not here" she said out loud. And he wasn't.

The first meeting went well and then the second gun transaction was also profitable. Fiona looked normal on the outside, her demeanour and clothing were all carefully controlled. She went to her yoga class as usual and chatted to the other women in a friendly manner. After grabbing a quick sushi dinner she went to the cinema. The French film was so bad she walked out halfway through it. When she got home to the loft she sat down and did something she hadn't done in years. She wrote a diary entry.

_Diary,_

_I've been shattered on the inside and for a while I worried that there was none of me left. I'm strong enough to have this baby even if he or she isn't Michael's. But I don't think it is fair to ask him to do the same thing. I went through a time a few years ago when I felt a maternal tug at my heart when I saw mothers with babies. I wanted one and I still do. I just wish it were under better circumstances. I know Michael would make a wonderful father but I don't think I could stand to hear him suggest that I have an abortion. I don't even know if he would say it out loud. It is unlikely that this child is Michael's. I had the contraceptive implant in my arm removed a few days after he left. Michael seems so far away. Every time Sam looks at me he expects to see…. I don't know what he expects to see. He blames himself for not being able to find me and he doesn't know what to say._

Fi put her pen down and entered her small bathroom to have a shower. After removing her clothes she studied her reflection in the mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep and her naked form told the story of her ordeal in graphic detail. Most of the bruises had faded but the angry red scars remained. She placed her hands over her stomach and turned side on. There were no physical signs of her pregnancy yet. If it was Michael's child, she would be two months in. If it belonged to one of her kidnappers she was six weeks along, or even less.

"If you are theirs, you are a half orphan" Fi mused out loud. All of the men were dead. She and Sam had made sure they would never do to any other woman what they had done to her. Sam was really and truly angry. She'd only seen him so worked up one or two times before and instead of suggesting less firepower he wanted more. While there was revenge to be had he was invaluable. Now that there was nothing to do but wait for Michael, he seemed unsure of himself.

"Do I want this baby?" she mused to herself as she stood under the soothing warm water. Her eyes were closed as she waited for the answer to come to her. The answer was yes. She had not always wanted a baby, but she wanted one now. Fiona Glenanne was far from perfect, but she had always been honest with herself about her emotions and her desires. Everything would change of course, but Fiona had always embraced change. She was also aware that spontaneous miscarriages generally happened before the three month mark. Fi's eyes opened. She imagined she could see Michael on the other side of the shower door, then she blinked and he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Fiona clicked her tongue in frustration. "I can't believe you can't tell the difference between girls squealing because they are playing and girls screaming in terror" She admonished.

"So what, you'd rather I stay outside while my sister and my niece are in danger instead of coming in?" Liam asked in disbelief.

"I don't want to hear anything more about it" said Fi. "You're lucky we have extra food tonight" She said as she dished up a plate for her brother. Liam sent Michael an apologetic look as he sat in a chair beside Susan.

"I can fix the door after dinner" Michael said.

"Yes, well I would make Liam do it but I know that he's better with explosives than carpentry" Fi said snippily.

Susan was looking somewhat uncomfortable but the girls were happily drawing pictures on a notepad while they waited for the adults to settle. "Michael sit at the table" Fi said. "I'll serve dinner up. I've got some bread rolls here somewhere…." Michael thought it better to do as he was asked. He wanted to ask Liam about the bug on his mother's phone but he was very aware of Susan and the two children being in the room.

"So Michael, tell us about what you do" Susan invited a conversation and Michael saw no reason not to talk to her.

"I'm an accountant" he lied easily.

"Really?" Susan said in surprise. "I thought you were in the military"

"Yes I am" said Michael. "I'm just in the habit of telling people I'm an accountant. I didn't know that Fi had already told you about me"

"Oh" Susan seemed unsure of how to go on.

"Michael is in the military Susan" Fi interrupted. "But he can't really tell you anything about his work. He's not being rude he just doesn't know how to have ordinary conversations with normal people. Be patient with him."

Approximately Six Years Earlier

Sam's phone rang just as he was settling himself onto a comfy barstool for an afternoon drinking session. He looked to see who was calling, and on seeing that it was Fi, he answered.

"Hey Fi"

"Hey Sam, I want to meet up. Where are you now?"

"I'm at the Cubana Bar. It's two blocks from the Carlito"

"I'll meet you there" Fi said. She hung up. Sam knew instinctively that something was up. He prepared himself for the very real possibility that Michael was on his way home. In no time at all, Fiona arrived at the bar and gracefully weaved among the bar's patrons on her way to the empty seat beside Sam.

"So" invited Sam. "What's up?"

Fiona sighed. There was an unmistakable air of exhaustion about her which hadn't been present before her ordeal.

"Sam I've come to tell you that I have to disappear for a while"

"What? Why Fi?" Sam asked in bewilderment. "What's happened?"

"It's okay Sam" she reassured him tiredly. "I think someone is tracking me. I don't know who it is yet or if they are connected to the men who took me, but I need a break. It's been a hard few weeks and I need to get away from Miami."

"You're running away" Sam stated.

It was yet another testament to Fiona's fragile mental state that Sam's accusation didn't prompt an angry response.

"I'm not running away" she said. "Soon Michael will be back and when he reappears you can call me and I'll come back too" She sounded like she believed what she was saying.

"Fi I could come with you" Sam suggested. He shifted on his seat and lowered his voice "I don't want you to be alone"

"I need to be Sam" she said flatly. "If I'm going to survive, I need a break. I need to go where no one knows me and no one can contact me. You don't need to worry Sam" she said in an attempt to reassure him. "I'll be fine and Michael will come back and he and I will be fine together."

"So when will you call me?" Sam asked.

"In a week or so" Fi said vaguely. When I do I'll give you my new number. Michael might be back by then anyway"

"Fi" Sam watched her face but all he could sense was exhaustion. Maybe she was right. The army let soldiers have recovery time after horrific injuries and trauma. Fi was just as tough as any soldier. She would be fine. She had to be.

"Bye Sam" she gave him a half smile as she got up from the bar.

"Bye Fi" he responded.

As she left the bar Sam pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Michael's handler

_-Mikey you need to get back to Miami NOW-_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hayley McBride Chapter 6**

Michael's handler received the text message from Sam Axe, but there was little he could do about it. Westen was involved in an extremely important mission and he wouldn't even have the opportunity to speak with him until the main task was completed. Three days later when the mission was successfully completed Michael ended up in hospital for a week drifting in and out of consciousness as his body healed his various injuries. By the time Agent Curtis passed on the text message to Michael it was ten days after he initially received it, and Fiona Glenanne was long gone.

Agent Curtis had more than just the one message to pass on though. Sam had sent several more which added more and more detail each time.

"_Mikey, you need to get back here asap"_

"_Mikey, Fi needs you. Come home"_

"_Mike. Fi has been through a bad time. Come home now."_

and finally, _"Mike I think she's going to run. I can't hold her up for much longer."_

Even Sam never suspected that Fi would disappear permanently. After their meeting at the bar she stayed true to her word and called a week later with a new cell number.

"Hello" Sam couldn't keep the hope out of his voice when he didn't recognise the number. His hope was briefly rewarded.

"Sam it's me" Fi told him.

"Hey Fi" he greeted in relief. "I'm glad you're okay"

Fi smiled sadly at the other end of the phone. I'll keep this cell with me for a while"

"Yeah Fi, I was thinking that I could come up to where you are. You know keep you company."

"No Sam. Just call me when Michael comes back" she said.

After he hung up, Sam sent Michael another text message.

When Michael arrived at Miami Airport he hired a rental car and dialled Fiona's number. He got no answer, the number was no longer in service. On his way to his mother's house he called Sam who picked up straight away.

"Mike, finally!" said Sam. "I've been calling you for two weeks!"

"Yeah sorry Sam I got held up." Michael said tiredly. The mission had taken a lot out of him and he was worried about Fiona. "Sam what happened with Fi? Why did she leave town? Do you have a number for her?"

"Yeah mate it's been really difficult." Said Sam uncomfortably. He gave Michael Fiona's number only to get another call back minutes later.

"Sam that number's no good"

Sam got a bad feeling. "I don't know Mikey. I called her yesterday and she answered. The number was fine yesterday."

"Sam where are you?" Michael said.

"I'm at the Carlito"

"Right I'll meet you there." Even though he knew it wouldn't do any good, he called Fi's number and discovered the number had been disconnected.

Michael pulled up outside the Carlito and went in to meet Sam.

"Sam what happened? Where is she?" Michael asked.

"She's had a bad month Michael. Fiona needed a holiday away from Miami and she needs you brother. I don't know why she's not answering her phone though. Michael call your handler and use some CIA resources to find her. I think she'll come back eventually but she needs you Michael."

"Has she been doing business?" Michael asked. "I'll call some of her associates. That way if she's avoiding me I can crash one of her deals." He turned to look at Sam and Sam felt a little nervous when he saw Michael's expression.

"Why would she be avoiding me Sam?" he asked quietly. "Why did she run?"

"Look Mike she's upset, she needs you. Just find her and she'll tell you about it" Sam said uneasily. "Even if you don't find her I'm sure she'll come back in a couple of weeks. She was just sick of me you know."

"Why was she sick of you?" Michael asked.

"I well. I kept checking up on her. You know I knew she was missing you and I think she may have gone away to get some…you know… space"

Michael gave Sam a funny look. "Where was she last?"

"I don't know Michael. I assumed she was still in the state because she told me she would come back as soon as you did. As soon as I called her."

"But she's not answering her phone Sam" stated Michael. Both men knew that something was very very wrong and Michael was getting frightened. Michael pulled out his phone again and called his mother.

"Ma when was the last time you heard from Fi?" he asked. "Oh hello Michael. Yes I'm fine. How was your trip?" Michael could see his mother's expression in his mind's eye and he could even smell the smoke from her cigarette.

"Ma this is serious. I don't know where Fiona is and Sam said she left town because she was upset"

"Oh Michael I haven't spoken to Fiona in weeks." Said Madeline with concern. "Two months in fact. Sam hasn't been answering my calls either"

"Okay Ma" said Michael. "I'll see what I can find out"

"Good Michael. I'm glad you're back" his mother said.

Michael turned back to Sam who was trying to avoid eye contact with him. "So Ma said that Fiona hasn't spoken to her in two months. Don't you think that's interesting?"

"Ah yeah Michael I guess that is pretty interesting" said Sam as he looked extremely uncomfortable.

"She also said you haven't seen her in a while either" said Michael. "Care to explain?"

"Well uh…." Sam floundered.

"Damn it" Michael shouted. All the people in Carlito's looked their way. "What happened Sam?"

"She uh…" Sam decided to lie. "She had to leave town because someone's trying to kill her."

"There is more to this than you're telling me Sam" said Michael. "Who's trying to kill her?"

"We don't know. She was shot at three times and then a man called her phone. We decided to cut off communication with your Mom to protect her."

Michael seemed satisfied with Sam's explanation. For the moment.

"I'm going to find her" Michael said. He pulled out his phone to call his handler.


End file.
